Key facts
- Patients switching to Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy lost an average of 4.1% of their body weight over three months.
- Participants lost an average of 4.0 kg (8.8 pounds) from a baseline weight of 100.5 kg (221.6 pounds).
- The proportion of clinically obese participants fell from 87.1% to 65.5% after three months.
- Novo Nordisk captured over 80% of new oral obesity prescriptions in the US.
- The study involved 194 patients and was presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting.
Patients who switched from injectable weight-loss therapies to Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, continued to lose weight, according to data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan. The study of 194 patients found an average body weight loss of 4.1% over three months after the transition.
Participants lost an average of 4.0 kg (8.8 pounds) from a baseline weight of 100.5 kg (221.6 pounds). The proportion of participants classified as clinically obese dropped to 65.5% from 87.1% after three months, with nearly 41% shedding at least 5% of their body weight. Novo Nordisk's Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange noted that the data indicates strong patient preference and adherence to the oral therapy.
Novo Nordisk, which became Europe's most valuable listed company following the 2021 launch of injectable Wegovy, has seen its shares tumble from their peak as Eli Lilly has emerged as a leader in the obesity-drug market. The company has found some success with its oral therapies, which now account for about a third of US obesity prescriptions, with Novo capturing over 80% of new oral prescriptions. Novo CEO Mike Doustdar has projected that weight-loss pills could capture as much as half of the global obesity-drug market, estimated to be worth $100 billion annually or more by the end of the decade. The data was compiled in collaboration with US telehealth company Ro. The Wegovy pill has launched in the US, Britain, Germany, and the UAE, with further market rollouts planned.